Opera today unveiled Opera Unite, a new technology that shakes up the old client-server computing model of the Web. The service turns any computer into both a client and a server, allowing it to interact with and serve content to other computers directly across the Web, without the need for third-party servers.

Opera Unite makes serving data as simple and easy as browsing the Web. For consumers, Opera Unite services give greater control of private data and make it easy to share data with any device equipped with a modern Web browser.

For Web developers, Opera Unite services are based on the same open Web standards as Web sites today. This simplifies the complexity of authoring cutting-edge Web services. With Opera Unite, creating a full Web service is now as easy as coding a Web page.

Opera Unite is available in a special version of the Opera 10 desktop browser from Opera Labs. Opera Unite services run directly in the browser.

Users can first download the Opera Unite build from http://labs.opera.com/. To start Opera Unite, users should click the Opera Unite logo in the lower left-hand corner of the browser and log in with their existing Opera ID ? the same Opera ID used for other Opera services such as My Opera and Opera Link. Opera Unite will prompt them to register an Opera ID if they do not have one.

Users can access their Opera Unite services from the Opera Unite panel of the browser. New services can be installed from http://unite.opera.com/.

Running a service will give users a direct Web address to the Opera Unite service on your device, for example: http://notebook.jondoe.operaunite.com/photo_sharing/, where "notebook" is the name of the local device serving content, "jondoe" is a username, and "photo_sharing" is the Web service being accessed. That link will also allow others to access the same Web service from your computer through their Web browser.

Current Opera Unite services include file sharing, web server that allows users to run entire Web sites from their local computer, media player, photo sharing, the "Lounge"chat service and the 'Fridge', which allows users to post a note on your friends? virtual refrigerators.

"These six services represent the beginning of what is possible. Web developers can unleash their creativity to design unique Web services and, in doing so, unlock the full potential of Opera Unite," Opera said.



"Today, we are opening the full potential of the Web for everyone," said Jon von Tetzchner, CEO, Opera. ?Technology moves in distinct cycles. PCs decentralized computing away from large mainframes. Opera Unite now decentralizes and democratizes the cloud. With server capability in the browser, Web developers can create Web applications with profound ease. Consumers have the flexibility to choose private and efficient ways of sharing information. We believe Opera Unite is one of our most significant innovations yet, because it changes forever the fundamental fabric of the Web," said Opera's CEO.